A tremendous amount of personal injuries and property damage occurs on various roadways and waterways each year. As a result, designers continually search for effective ways to protect both property and vehicle occupants. Various types of barriers have been employed to this end. While many of these barriers are designed to absorb the impact of a collision with a moving vehicle, frequently such barriers are completely destroyed as a result of the collision and must be replaced. Moreover, motor vehicles, especially those used in automobile racing, have an ever increasing ability to travel at high speeds. As a result, many barriers are no longer capable of protecting property or vehicle occupants during a high speed collision.
An ideal barrier for use in conjunction with moving vehicles or the like would not only be impact absorbing, but would also be able to withstand the impact of a high speed collision associated with automotive racing accidents. Additionally, an ideal impact absorbing barrier would be able to withstand a number of collisions before requiring replacement.